01 Identity
Scottish charity record
- OSCR charity number
- SC023518
- Status
- Active
- Regulatory type
- Standard
- Designated religious body
- No
- Geographical spread
- Operations cover all or most of Scotland
- Volunteers
- 1-50 volunteers
- Staff
- 0
- Postcode
- EH6 6LX
OSCR note: This SCIO was incorporated on November 29 2021 as a result of the conversion of a charitable company (SC156992)
02 Purpose and work
What the charity exists to do
The SS Explorer Preservation Society was established in 1994 as a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee by enthusiasts who wanted to preserve the SS Explorer, the UK’s last surviving steam Fisheries Research Vessel and converted to a SCIO in 2021. Our mission is to conserve one of Scotland’s historic ships and ensure that it remains an accessible part of our maritime heritage by transforming it into a floating museum and local visitor attraction
Charitable purposes
- the advancement of education
- the advancement of the arts, heritage, culture or science
Beneficiaries
- Children or young people
- Older People
- No specific group, or for the benefit of the community
Activities
- It carries out activities or services itself
Constitutional objectives
The organisation is established for charitable purposes only, and in particular, the objects are 4.1 The advancement of heritage through the conservation of the ex- Fisheries Research vessel SS Explorer, ensuring that the vessel is preserved and maintained along with artefacts and documents related to her history 4.2 The advancement of education on the vessel and its importance to maritime history by opening the SS Explorer to visits, displaying and sharing information about her history, and creating resources particularly for local schools and community
03 Annual returns
Income and expenditure history
| Year end | Income | Expenditure | Staff | Return received |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 March 2025 | £18,338 | £11,630 | 0 | 25 September 2025 |
| 31 March 2024 | £34,036 | £30,477 | 0 | 27 September 2024 |
| 31 March 2023 | £3,452 | £5,693 | 0 | 14 September 2023 |
| 31 March 2022 | £1,240 | £7,756 | 0 | 24 November 2022 |
| 31 March 2021 | £953 | £9,119 | 0 | 12 October 2021 |
Figures are those reported by the charity and supplied in the OSCR bulk download. Blank facts remain distinct from zero.
04 Contact record
Principal office or trustees address
- Address supplied to OSCR
- The Custom House, 65 - 67 Commercial Street, Leith, Edinburgh
- Website supplied to OSCR
- http://www.TheExplorer.scot
- Parent charity
- Not supplied
No direct external links on this profile. The official OSCR record and source documentation are available through BritDB’s dedicated source page.
05 Provenance
Source for this profile
© Crown Copyright and database right 2026. Contains information from the Scottish Charity Register supplied by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator and licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0. BritDB is an independent service and does not claim to be the Scottish Charity Register.